A Bittersweet Transition....

A dear friend of ours provided perfect care for this handsome cockatoo for 30 years; and the bird, named Nike, adores her! He doesn't take well to others, including the couple's nearly grown son, who Nike regards as an interloper to be shooed away. But mostly, Nike was a member of the family; although sometimes loud! My favorite memory of Nike was seeing my friend tuck him into his sleeping-roost near their room for the night; it was hilarious. Nike had to be cuddled for a while--maybe she had to read him a story and kiss him good night?--it was so cute. But alas, all those years of caring for the bird made our friend develop serious allergies! What to do? (Keep in mind, cockatoos can live for 75 years if cared for properly.) Happily, a bird santuary was found to take him; he seems to be doing fine, so far, in his new home. But missing a pet is hard--imagine having a pet for 30 years! I feel very sad for her.

Over-Built...with good reason.

At this rail bridge on a quiet road in our town, there were two freight train derailments the the past-say, five years. Both were classic "train wrecks", with freight cars and their contents spilled helter-skelter. The first was a few years ago, a grain train: thank goodness no injuries. But the second was a coal train on a hot 4th of July in 2012. An unlucky couple, on the way to family celebrations that evening, were caught under the bridge and killed instantly. They were not even found for several days! The railroad company has been busy ever since, creating a strong new bridge here and reinforcing other similar bridges in the area.

Hey Kids...It's yer'Father....

While on a long walk with me on another cold February day.

Strange Cloud on a Clear, Cold February Day

It's Like This....and we expect more fresh snow this weekend!

"Verbiage By the Pound" by James A. Michener....

Not really; I finally finished reading "The Source". I've nibbled at it when I didn't have anything else to read, since last October--give or take a month of bronchitis. I looked forward to reading about an archaeology dig in Israel, fictitious or not. Elements of the historical segments were very interesting--the Crusaders, the Turks, etc. The present-time "frame story" of the modern archaeologists seemed light and silly. I should remember the book was written in the 1960's; maybe a bit dated by now. Could have used another edit. Also, the characters of the book seemed mostly flat and monochromatic; even with a long novel of 1,000+ pages, this is not necessary. "Lonesome Dove" by Larry McMurtry, for example. The goal was to finish a Michener novel; I accomplished that, now I can move on to more entertaining books.

If You Want to be Inspired....

...entertained and touched by stories of true-life bravery and real heroines, "No Time for Fear" by Diane Burke Fessler is the book for you! Former WWII military service nurses remember (as elderly ladies in their 70's to 90's)their years as nurses (and some as prisoners of the Japanese in the Philippines); their "voices" reveal the adventurous spirit of young women in their 20's, tempered with the wisdom of their advanced age. Amazing stories of bravery and danger, working as flight nurses in wartime, before planes had advanced navigation equipment; carrying on nursing while starving in the Japanese prison camp, and other exciting situations. Mrs. Fessler's aunt was a nurse with the 166th General Hospital in LeMans, France where my mother served as one of the dietitians; an entire chapter is devoted to memories of this hospital.